cinematic-shot-prompt

Cinematic Shot Prompt

What This Skill Does

Generates a film-grammar-aware Midjourney prompt from a scene description — specifying shot type, lens, lighting, color grade, and mood — that produces an image with the visual language of a cinematically composed film still.

When To Use This Skill

• You need a high-quality image that looks like a film still, not a stock photo or illustration
• You are art directing a project (documentary, editorial, series bible) and need reference images that convey a specific visual language
• You want to show a director, DP, or client what a scene or sequence should look and feel like
• You are building a mood board using AI-generated imagery and need precise control over the cinematic language

What You Need To Provide

Required: A description of the scene, subject, or moment you want to capture; the emotional mood or atmosphere the image should convey Optional: Reference films or cinematographers whose visual language you want to evoke; specific shot type (close-up, wide, overhead, etc.); time of day or lighting condition; color palette or grade preference; aspect ratio; Midjourney version (default is v6)

How the Assistant Approaches This

1. Translates the scene description into precise cinematographic language — shot type (ECU, MCU, wide, aerial), lens choice (24mm wide, 85mm portrait, 200mm compressed telephoto), and camera position (eye-level, low angle, dutch tilt) — choosing the option that best serves the described mood
2. Specifies the lighting setup using film industry terms (Rembrandt, hard side-light, golden hour, practical-only, overcast diffused) rather than generic descriptors ("nice light," "dramatic")
3. Defines a color grade or palette (desaturated teal-and-orange, warm amber shadows, cold blue midtones, high-contrast monochrome) that supports the emotional register
4. Adds cinematic texture parameters — grain, bokeh, depth of field — that signal "film still" to the model rather than "digital photography" or "illustration"
5. Structures the final prompt in Midjourney's preferred order: subject, action/context, shot type, lens, lighting, color grade, mood, style parameters
6. After the prompt(s), provides a "Next Step" note: paste the prompt into Midjourney, generate at least 4 initial variations before upscaling, and which parameter to adjust first if the output is too stylized or not cinematic enough (typically --s for stylization strength or --c for chaos)